The Gambia entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): Valid for the whole stay (until the day you leave)
Visa (FCDO): You can visit The Gambia without a visa (the FCDO text says how long you can stay). Official visa text
Official source: GOV.UK – The Gambia travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 7 July 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter The Gambia, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
Other passports: Canadian passport · Australian passport · Italian citizens: documenti per italiani
Do I need a visa for The Gambia with a British passport?
In short: You can visit The Gambia without a visa (the FCDO text says how long you can stay).
Our one-line summary of the first FCDO sentence below, which matches a wording we recognise. It applies to British citizen passport holders; read the full official text, which may add conditions.
You do not need a visa to visit The Gambia. You’ll get a stamp in your passport that allows you to stay for 28 days when you arrive.
You can get 2 extensions of 28 days from the Immigration Office in Banjul or the tourist police stations in the Tourism Development Area.
You’ll need a residence permit for longer stays. For more information contact the Gambian High Commission in the UK.
Official source: GOV.UK – The Gambia travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 7 July 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
To enter The Gambia, your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay.
Official source: GOV.UK – The Gambia travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 7 July 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for The Gambia
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 10 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 17 January 2024: “Information that you may be asked to pay a vehicle registration fee when crossing a land border (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 15 December 2022: “Updated information on removal of all COVID-19 travel restrictions ('Entry requirements' and 'Coronavirus' pages).”
- 10 November 2022: “Removed information on arriving passengers being asked to submit a Rapid Diagnostic Test ('Entry requirements' page).”
- 15 February 2022: “Updated information on entry and testing requirements for children under 18 (‘Entry requirements’ page)”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for The Gambia (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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Same FCDO rule (Valid for the whole stay)
and 19 more destinations with the same rule: see all
Passport validity rules for all destinations · Liquids rules by airport · EES and ETIAS status